Leroy Dudek

Leroy Dudek, age 83, a beloved husband, loving father, grandfather, uncle, cousin and friend, passed away peacefully in Phoenix, AZ on Saturday, Dec 7, 2019 surrounded by family members. Leroy was born August 19, 1936 in East Chicago, IN to Matt and Irene Dudek. He served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1959. Upon his return, he went to work at the Indiana Harbor Steel Mills and married his wife Therese on February 20, 1960. Together they enjoyed listening to music by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Tony Bennett; dance the jitterbug; and cheer on their favorite Chicago sports teams. Leroy lived life to its fullest. He was a dedicated father to Keith, Karen and Laura. Leroy loved the outdoors, especially camping and fishing. He traveled with his family all around the Great Lakes and into Canada, often with a caravan of neighbors. During this time, Leroy worked at Blaskovich Chevrolet in East Chicago, IN as a body and fender repairman. He was a very hard worker and could do/fix anything. He was a talented artist, excellent carpenter, electrician and handyman. He also spent many evenings and weekends fixing and painting cars in his home garage. When they were tired of the cold weather in the Midwest, they took vacations to Arizona to visit Leroy’s parents. The rest is history. In 1980 they decided to pack up the family and move to Phoenix permanently. After moving to Arizona Leroy held jobs at Karsten Manufacturing, APS, and the Arizona Parks District. Leroy’s hobbies included raising parakeets and playing with his dogs named Ditka and Sammy! He and Therese eventually retired and moved into Westbrook Village. To escape the warm weather in the summer months, Leroy and Therese spent time at their mountain home in Pinetop, Arizona. They also spent quality time with the family taking vacation trips to the Outer Banks, New Orleans, Cancun, San Francisco, Las Vegas, San Diego, Alaska, and most recently Cuba. On December 7th, Leroy left us to join Therese, but he left us all with many memories that will make us smile forever. Leroy is preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Therese. He is survived by son Keith (Tina), daughters Karen (Mark) and Laura (David), grandchildren Bill, Natalie (Jennifer), Craig (Mishel), Kirk (Rachel), Kevin, Christian, Nicole and Stephanie; and great grandchildren Mina and Connor. We will always carry him in our hearts! Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of the Valley.